Taking note of artificial price hikes for goods and services and scarcity of quality products due to cartelisation, the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) has sought public help detecting market collusions. Cartels are formed when suppliers coordinate or enter into agreements to fix prices and control supply, all for unjustified gains and illicit profits, which is illegal. To ensure th
The government on Monday claimed to have secured about Rs1.571 trillion in savings in future payments to a total of 27 independent power producers (IPPs) through negotiations so far, while another ‘unwilling’ producer would have to undergo a forensic audit. This was the key takeaway from a presentation made by a power division team — comprising federal minister Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari, Special
Hold your breath for a while. There are differing views over the country's economic progress under the current government. While government officials rightly point out improvements in certain indicators as signs of victory and stability after tumultuous years of firefighting, the majority remain unconvinced. Nonetheless, there is a very small segment of stock market investors who seem to be hav
For too long, we have allowed Pakistan's tax codes to wreak havoc on our state's finances – revenue shortfalls lead to excessive borrowing, cuts in essential services, enormously inefficient disruptions in long-term projects and tax increases that only exacerbate the crisis. These crises are exceptionally deep and lasting, directly resulting from Pakistan having the worst tax system in the regi
In recent days, as Pakistan's economic woes have intensified, a veritable cottage industry has developed to suggest ways of putting the country back on track. Those offering advice include eminent Pakistani professors at universities such as Harvard and Princeton, former finance ministers, and retired bureaucrats. In posts on social media and newspaper columns, these distinguished thinkers prov